The Kolkata Police have suspended Abhijit Mondal, the officer in charge of Tala Police Station, following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the RG Kar rape-murder case. Mondal was taken into custody on September 14 and was produced in Sealdah Court along with Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
In a related development, the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front requested another meeting with the state government to address unresolved issues. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant accepted the request, arranging a meeting at Nabanna with a 30-member delegation of junior doctors. Dr. Aqeeb, a representative of the doctors, expressed hope for a successful discussion to resolve outstanding disagreements and enable doctors to return to work.
The state government has already made some significant changes following discussions with the protesting doctors. These include the removal of key officials such as the police chief of Kolkata and two senior health officials. Additionally, Dr. Suparna Dutta, Director of the Institute of Health and Family Welfare, and Dr. Swapan Soren, Joint DHS, have been removed from their posts. Dr. Kaustav Nayak and Dr. Debashis Halder were also relieved from their roles as Director of Medical Education (DME) and Director of Health Services (DHS), respectively.
Also read: Manoj Kumar Verma Appointed as New Kolkata Police Commissioner Amid Junior Doctors’ Protests
These actions follow the tragic incident on August 9, when the body of a 31-year-old doctor was found at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, prompting a widespread strike by junior doctors across the state. The state government is now working to address the demands of the medical community in an effort to restore normalcy in healthcare services.